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s13e12 · 2026-03-26
Running · US
Mysteries of the Abandoned
Science Documentary
What it is
Some of the world's most incredible engineering projects now lie in ruins. These deserted places are home to extraordinary mysteries and untold secrets, and we revisit them to understand how they were built, and why they were abandoned.They were once some of the most advanced structures and facilities on the planet, standing at the cutting-edge of design and construction. Today they are abandoned, dangerous, some of them even deadly. From uninhabited cities to empty factories, these long-forgotten engineering marvels are scattered around the globe. Science Channel uncovers why some of the world's most advanced architectural achievements were eventually left behind in the all-new series Mysteries of the Abandoned.Each of the six, hour-long episodes of Mysteries of the Abandoned features stories behind engineering wonders, why they were built, and the reasons they were eventually left to crumble. Each story recalls the people who originally designed the structure, their historical significance, and why they were ultimately no longer of use. The premiere episode explores California's Goat Canyon Trestle railway, known as the 'Impossible Railroad,' that required the biggest wooden trestle bridge in the world; Ukraine's Duga, the notorious anti-ballistic missile radar, known as the 'Russian Woodpecker,' that still stands in within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone; and the Grand Goulets Road in the French Alps, an astonishingly narrow and perilous mountain passageway.
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Episode guide
8 this season · 142 totals05e01 Jungle of the Damned 2019-10-04 01:00
Jungle of the Damned
At an infamous prison in the Amazon, the most dangerous criminals on earth faced hard labor, a hostile environment, and death by guillotine; today, it's deserted, and new discoveries reveal why this hellish compound was built and why it was abandoned.
s05e02 American Atlantis 2019-10-11 01:00
American Atlantis
An abandoned town in the Nevada desert is the ruins of an American Atlantis, destroyed by catastrophic floods when the Hoover Dam was built; today, experts investigate the secrets of this eerie ghost town as water levels recede and the city reemerges.
s05e03 Haunting of Heartbreak Castle 2019-10-18 01:00
Haunting of Heartbreak Castle
A mysterious castle was once a fairytale estate, but today, the building is said to be haunted, and experts investigate the secrets of this eerie fortress and the ghostly stories inside.
s05e04 Kingdom of the Vanished 2019-10-25 01:00
Kingdom of the Vanished
A mysterious town in the hills of South Africa was once a booming community, but today, the eerie place is deserted; experts reveal the cataclysm that caused the people of this once-prosperous town to suddenly leave and never come back.
s05e05 Journey to Outcast Island 2019-11-01 01:00
Journey to Outcast Island
On a desolate island near Greece, abandoned buildings are evidence of a group of people that were forbidden to leave; experts reveal who was forced to stay here and if there was a cover-up to conceal what really happened at this strange place.
s05e06 Secrets of the Doomsday Caves 2019-11-08 02:00
Secrets of the Doomsday Caves
A vast network of subterranean bunkers in the American West was home to the power to destroy nations. But today, this facility is deserted, and new discoveries reveal why this eerie place was built and why it was abandoned.
s05e07 The Devil's Prison 2019-11-15 02:00
The Devil's Prison
A haunted prison with a terrifying past once housed America's most notorious criminals. But today, the fortress stands in ruin, and experts reveal evidence of ghostly secrets hidden in the crumbling jailhouse walls.
s05e08 Curse of Satan's Catacombs 2019-11-22 02:00
Curse of Satan's Catacombs
An abandoned system of caves was once the meeting place of a secret society that worshiped Satan and performed black magic. New discoveries at this mysterious site reveal what really happened here and why a Founding Father was a frequent guest.